tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post3780815592311348159..comments2023-12-30T10:06:37.450+00:00Comments on HousingPANIC - The Housing Bubble Blog with an Attitude Problem, 2005 - 2008: Money Magazine's annual Top 10 Towns America's Best Places to Live (small town version). What do you think?bloggerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06585266242070350399noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-17239565174731139212007-07-31T15:38:00.000+01:002007-07-31T15:38:00.000+01:00What, no towns in Texas?Texas has some charming sm...What, no towns in Texas?<BR/><BR/>Texas has some charming small towns -- and a very low cost of living. <BR/><BR/>If any place in the USA was considered to have escaped the housing bubble, it would be Texas. There is plenty of land, so it can never get very expensive.<BR/><BR/>MatthewMichael Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10453078589832216558noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-45688203012677800162007-07-31T13:03:00.000+01:002007-07-31T13:03:00.000+01:00are there really any true small towns left? I'm no...are there really any true small towns left? I'm not talking rural North Dakota towns of 100 people that are only there to tun a post office and grocery store for farmers. I mean the 20K city with a main street, couple of high schools, the one or two good restaurants, etc.<BR/><BR/>The way cities have grown over the past 20 years, they have swallowed up what I am describing. Between NoVa and Southern NH, there are no small towns, just suburbs of DC, Philly, NY, Hartford and Boston. Within 50 miles of Atlanta any small town is a suburb now with cokkie cutter subdivisions everywhere. Same with Dallas. You can drive from the US/Mexico border over 3 hours north and see nothing but suburb after suburb until you get north of SB and then before you know it, you hit the southernmost exurbs of San Jose....well OK not quite, but give it another 20 years and 10 million more illegals and that will the case.<BR/><BR/>Just seems to me like your only option today is city or out in the middle of nowehre. The small town an hour away from the "big" city no longer exists.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-57545119181517363572007-07-31T05:42:00.000+01:002007-07-31T05:42:00.000+01:00"he places on their bogus list aren't small towns,..."he places on their bogus list aren't small towns, they're bedroom communities of larger cities. "<BR/><BR/>That's right. I lived in Suwanee, GA and even though the official population was 12K, there were over 100K people living within a ten mile radius. Every one of them gets into a car every morning and drives to work clogging the roads and polluting the air. What was once a slow-paced rural area is now a maze of banal subdivisions filled with FBs and medicated minivan moms. <BR/><BR/>I moved away in '02 and now I live in paradise. Where is it you ask? Piss off -- I'll never tell!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-82832496607392039722007-07-31T04:42:00.000+01:002007-07-31T04:42:00.000+01:00Hanover, NH is a nice place, college town with a l...Hanover, NH is a nice place, college town with a lot of good food, entertainment, etc but (like a lot of other places in New England) it is very awkward for people who haven't been there a long time and know everybody and are related to everybody. I was there for 7 years and even after that didn't even feel I was part of the "in crowd". It doesn't matter if you're a student I suppose. Politics leans to the left but not as much as other college towns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-4645807348219335472007-07-31T03:58:00.000+01:002007-07-31T03:58:00.000+01:00The places on their bogus list aren't small towns,...The places on their bogus list aren't small towns, they're bedroom communities of larger cities. Without their proximity to the bigger cities these "small towns" would be unlivable and unbearably boring.<BR/><BR/>Money mags rankings are bullshit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-66304051694687042392007-07-31T03:49:00.000+01:002007-07-31T03:49:00.000+01:00keith i'm suprised you like salt lake. I purchased...keith i'm suprised you like salt lake. I purchased a house around salt lake as a back up plan to renting in Maui.I like park city and parts of salt lake the mountains by the pollution i feel is to much for me. Same with denver to much smog. Santa babara overated. san luis obispo ,ca and bainbridge island wa, some of the best small towns if you can afford. Also where i live Maui hi awesome just expense. Going for a run right know through the pineapple field to the ocean at world's biggest surf, JAWS. That my daily job. EnjoyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-4802915599171784132007-07-31T03:42:00.000+01:002007-07-31T03:42:00.000+01:00Claremont is a cute little town but surround by a ...Claremont is a cute little town but surround by a big s hole. The price of a house is crazy. Better places to live. Poulsbo Wa great place and nobody knows.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-78991270997475159202007-07-31T02:14:00.000+01:002007-07-31T02:14:00.000+01:00Claremont is not a small town; it's an outlying su...Claremont is not a small town; it's an outlying suburb of LA. Claremont itself seems to be relatively nice, but, as others have pointed out, it's got the problem of being right next to Pomona (mostly a sh!thole) and the greater IE (Inland Empire) in general. It's hot and smoggy, though the shade trees in the college area seem to help a bit with that.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and of course anyone living in SoCal has the problem of desperately trying to scramble to high ground to escape the rising tide of illegals and the congestion and crime that they bring.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-23669945379122545902007-07-31T00:11:00.000+01:002007-07-31T00:11:00.000+01:00Lake Mary is kind of a small town, but does have a...Lake Mary is kind of a small town, but does have at least 3 golf courses and numerous lakes in the city limits, as well as the most sought after school districts in the county, perhaps the whole Orlando area. The Mall about a mile from my house and Lake Mary is maybe 15 years old, but very nice. However, you might as well call it Sanford-LakeMary-Heathrow-Longwood. It is about 18 miles to downtown Orlando, 40-60 minutes to the theme parks. And there are jobs - rumor has it that by 2012 there will be more office space in this area than in downtown Orlando.<BR/>I sold my house in Lake Mary, and rent in Sanford now. Did I sell too low? Maybe, but when by the equivalent rent rule I made 75% extra, I thought I did OK. In any regard, I think the mountains are calling me...<BR/>But to answer the question - I don't think it really qualifies as a small town.Agent #777https://www.blogger.com/profile/02677055210515521498noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-28275419017065006922007-07-30T23:51:00.000+01:002007-07-30T23:51:00.000+01:00Claremont, Ca. ???I grew up in San Dumass (Dimas) ...Claremont, Ca. ???<BR/><BR/>I grew up in San Dumass (Dimas) and Claremont is not a safe area anymore! Lots o' gangs and drugs and crime!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-71959856855596248262007-07-30T22:26:00.000+01:002007-07-30T22:26:00.000+01:00Claremont is not far from Pomona, but Claremont is...Claremont is not far from Pomona, but Claremont is still an idyllic town. The homies from Pomona really don't come around very much, surprisingly, even though Pomona has been a ghetto slum for quite a while now. <BR/><BR/>Claremont is interesting because it is almost exclusively inhabited by 60-ish, hippie Boomers. We went to downtown Claremont a few months ago to buy some Birkenstock sandals, and it was like taking a trip back through time. <BR/><BR/>A guy we ran into on the street actually used the word "groovy" when saying hello to my youngest son, and I overheard someone else use the expression "far out" while waiting in line at the coffee shop. <BR/><BR/>I am a GOP-voting Gen-X'er, so Claremont would not normally be my kind of place. However, I have to admit that I loved it. The greying hippies were warm and friendly, and the center of town really did have an old-fashioned, small town feel. It even had a REAL old-fashioned, small town feel, not the manufactured and overpriced "down home" atmosphere that you find on a lot of upper-middle-class main streets these days. <BR/><BR/>Since Claremont is in LA, housing prices are outrageous, but it is a really, really nice town.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-14697818250301249832007-07-30T22:15:00.000+01:002007-07-30T22:15:00.000+01:00oh, and how can pittsburgh be worse than cleveland...oh, and how can pittsburgh be worse than cleveland? i've lived in cleveland and had more than my fair share of rough luck in pittsburgh (fingerprinted by the fbi, involved in a car crash, etc.), but the two don't compare. pittsburgh is nicer on the eye, has better culture and a friendlier atmosphere (more provincial city than postmodern hellhole).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-1127332517973744012007-07-30T22:11:00.000+01:002007-07-30T22:11:00.000+01:00london? you must be mad keith! the city is more up...london? you must be mad keith! the city is more up itself than anywhere else bar maybe nyc. it's ok for a few days until it dawns on you that these people don't know how to relax. then it becomes depressing very quickly.<BR/><BR/>portland is a wonderful place, but it ain't a small town. i liked ann arbor, but you have to write off six months a year to the weather in the midwest.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-30781533090952742182007-07-30T22:04:00.000+01:002007-07-30T22:04:00.000+01:00Any town/city can look good on paper. These best o...Any town/city can look good on paper. These best of lists are useless since they don't take into account things like % of population that is illegal, % of homes where there are 5+ cars parked in the driveway, scale of 1-10 on how likely it is you will wait for 3 hrs in an ER as Juan, Jose, Diego, Maria and Jesus get treated for a cold while you wait or how likely is it that a public school will have a Mexican flag in a classroom.<BR/><BR/>But we can't ask about those numbers, oh heaven no, that would be racist of course. Nope we'll just keep our MSM heads in the sand and claim Claremont to be simply wonderful and um "rich in diversity" instead of the cesspool it has become.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-7858818902895302312007-07-30T22:00:00.000+01:002007-07-30T22:00:00.000+01:00nowt wrong with small towns: often offer great bar...nowt wrong with small towns: often offer great bargains in comparison with big cities.<BR/><BR/>i would suggest that they either haven't factored weather in enough in this survey or they have very poor taste in weather.<BR/><BR/>imo the coastal areas of wa, or and northern ca (befere you get to near to sf and prices go bonkers) are the top places mainly for that reason.<BR/><BR/>weather not a big deal and you want a real bargain (if you treat a house as a home not an investment), i.e. a minimal cost of living? some ok places outside pittsburgh....near enough to the big city to commute if you have to as well (until it snows and things get a bit tricky).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-32256783913506304242007-07-30T21:57:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:57:00.000+01:00I wouldn't call Kanab run over by developers. St....I wouldn't call Kanab run over by developers. St. George is, but Kanab isn't. <BR/><BR/>However, EVERYTHING is overpriced.bearmasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05290246991286430222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-66100618031363806272007-07-30T21:56:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:56:00.000+01:00Anonymous said... Aren't the "best places" tag a k...Anonymous said... <BR/>Aren't the "best places" tag a kiss of death? <BR/><BR/>July 30, 2007 9:41 PM <BR/><BR/><BR/>======<BR/><BR/>You're thinking of SI's cover.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-16688127776314701432007-07-30T21:53:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:53:00.000+01:00Top 20 edumacated cities:Number is % of residents ...Top 20 edumacated cities:<BR/><BR/>Number is % of residents with a 4 year college degree. <BR/><BR/>For all you LA/NY snobs out there who think everyone in the South or flyover country is beneath you take a close look where NY is and oops LA isn't even in the top 20. Yet what do you know dumb redneck cities like Lexington, Charlotte, Raleigh and Atlanta are. And what do you know flyover country cities like Pittsburgh, Denver, Minneapolis and St.Paul are also there.<BR/><BR/>1. Seattle, WA 52.7<BR/>2. San Francisco, CA 50.1 <BR/>3. Raleigh, NC 50.1<BR/>4. Washington, DC 45.3<BR/>5. Austin, TX 44.1<BR/>6. Minneapolis, MN 43.2<BR/>7. Atlanta, GA 42.4<BR/>8. Boston, MA 40.9<BR/>9. San Diego, CA 40.4<BR/>10. Lexington-Fayette, KY 39.5<BR/>11. Denver, CO 39.0<BR/>12. Charlotte, NC 38.8<BR/>13. Portland, OR 38.8<BR/>14. St. Paul, MN 36.5<BR/>15. San Jose, CA 36.1<BR/>16. Colorado Springs, CO 34.9<BR/>17. Honolulu, HI 34.7<BR/>18. Oakland, CA 33.8<BR/>19. Pittsburgh, PA 32.3<BR/>20. New York, NY 32.2<BR/> <BR/>Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community SurveyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-789290056944393372007-07-30T21:41:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:41:00.000+01:00Aren't the "best places" tag a kiss of death?Aren't the "best places" tag a kiss of death?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-70988151073835070302007-07-30T21:34:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:34:00.000+01:00I was in Kanab about 5 years ago and it was very n...I was in Kanab about 5 years ago and it was very nice. Hard to imagine it having been run over by developers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-70679869458624853552007-07-30T21:14:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:14:00.000+01:00"I grew up in Pomona, just south of Claremont, CA...."I grew up in Pomona, just south of Claremont, CA. "<BR/><BR/><BR/>Exactly..POMONA, murder capital of SoCal, is just south of Claremont. We are talking about 3-5 miles. A lot has changed in 25 years TRUST ME. That is why I am baffled why Claremont is up on that list?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-20209224103257196802007-07-30T21:06:00.000+01:002007-07-30T21:06:00.000+01:00I ride my bike through Chaska, MN. It's nothing s...I ride my bike through Chaska, MN. It's nothing special as far as I can tell... just part of the western Minneapolis' pleasant sprawl.<BR/><BR/>My favorites: "stanley, ID or boise, ID." I'll take "God's Country" over intelligent sheeple any day of the week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-74038169875909190642007-07-30T20:57:00.000+01:002007-07-30T20:57:00.000+01:00I grew up in Pomona, just south of Claremont, CA. ...I grew up in Pomona, just south of Claremont, CA. This is an area east of Los Angeles in east L.A. County, and back when I was a kid it wasn't uncommon for adults to commute to Los Angeles to work. A longish drive, but quite doable. <BR/><BR/>I recall Claremont as being a really lovely town, with lots of shade trees. I used to hang out in the colleges area in my teens. I have not visited the area in 25 years. <BR/><BR/>Driving back from vacation the other day, along the 210 freeway, we passed through Claremont, and we noticed a Centex development advertised. Though I didn't actually stop and visit the town, I suspect it's now as infected by the housing bubble as any other place. <BR/><BR/>My trip through Bishop/Big Pine, Carson City, Reno-Sparks, Elko, Ely, St. George, Kanab, Flagstaff, Williams, and Las Vegas has shown me that nothing has been immune to the bubble - whether trashy places or nice places or nice places that have been trashed due to overdevelopment.bearmasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05290246991286430222noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-28318964455373982482007-07-30T20:52:00.000+01:002007-07-30T20:52:00.000+01:00I live in Marietta, GA. I am about 15 miles from d...I live in Marietta, GA. I am about 15 miles from downtown Atlanta yet feel like I live in a small town. There is a town square that has things like a farmer's market, Friday night concerts, etc a mile away from me. All around the square there are mom and pop shops/restaurants. I own a home built in 1922 with an acre of land and surrounded by similar homes on streets lined with pine and oak. You'd never know I'm 1/2 an hour away from the busiest airport in the world. I have the best of both worlds.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18675105.post-5516934945147951902007-07-30T20:44:00.000+01:002007-07-30T20:44:00.000+01:00Anonymous said... Sure, great towns...if you're a ...Anonymous said... <BR/>Sure, great towns...if you're a red neck or a hick. <BR/><BR/>July 30, 2007 8:13 PM <BR/><BR/><BR/>=====<BR/><BR/>Please kill yourself.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com